Bonds
by A'isha Ishtar
Summary: "You know, I trusted you because they told me you could be trusted. I was never prepared for anything you did. So, what now? I don't trust you, but... but I want to..." "Why don't you, then?" "I'm afraid of what might happen if I do." eventual Marik/OC
1. Prologue

**OK so... attempting Yu-gi-oh again. Hopefully I'm a little better at writing this series than I was about four years ago when I was just starting out on this site!**

**I hope you guys like this beginning collection of little vignettes. I'm hoping I write YGO a little better now, because even though I have a much wider variety of interests now, YGO was at one time the first and only thing I was interested in and wrote about. Although I write about a variety of very different things now, my favorite characters from this series are still very dear to me and, along with all my other new obsessions, sometimes help me get through hard times by letting me write about them, dream about them, and draw them.**

**Felt the need to say that little monologue. Without further ado, please enjoy the prologue to what I hope will be my best Yu-gi-oh story ever!**

* * *

><p>"<em>Hey kid!" She tapped on his head with a tiny, bony fist. "What's your name?"<em>

_The aforementioned kid rubbed his head on the spot she'd been bashing it. "Um, Yugi."_

"_Well, my name's Kana. You and me, we're gonna be friends." She plopped down next to him and grabbed the truck he'd had in his hands. "You got that?"_

"_H-Hey, Kana-chan, I was playing with that!" Yugi protested._

"_Well, friends share their toys. So now we're playing with it together."_

"_When do I get a turn?"_

"_I don't know. When I'm done with it." She got on her knees and pushed it all the way to the other side of the room, bumping their new kindergarten teacher in the leg by accident._

_The teacher, Fujiko-san, turned, looked down, and then looked across the room at the two kids. "Alright, which one of you did that?" she asked, hands on her hips._

_Yugi and Kana both blinked at Fujiko-san for a moment, then Kana situated herself behind Yugi and pushed on his shoulders just as hard as she'd done with the truck. "Okay, it can be your turn now, Yugi-kun."_

* * *

><p>"<em>That's not fair, Yugi!" Kana, in fake tears, pointed at the blonde intruder who was holding their basketball and looking at her, confused. "He can't be our friend!"<em>

_Yugi caught the basketball when The Other Boy bounced it to him. "Why not, Kana-chan? He's nice."_

"_Because...!" Kana pouted her lips together and simmered, trying to think of a response that made the least bit of sense in her head. She whirled around, back to both of them, clacking her heels and crossing her arms. "Because I didn't SAY he could be our friend, that's why!"_

"_Well, __**can**__ you say he can be our friend?"_

"_Why should I? I don't know 'im."_

"_That's 'cause he just got here today. He's from... um..." Even not looking, she could tell Yugi was looking at The Other Boy. "Where'd you say you were from, Joey?"_

"_Brooklyn," The Other Boy replied, and when he spoke he had some kind of distasteful accent that Kana really didn't care for. "It's a long way from 'ere. I came 'ere wit' my mom and dad. And my sistah."_

_Kana perked up. His sister? A girl to maybe join their posse? "Your sister?"_

_A tiny glimmer of hope that she'd accept him showed in his voice when he expanded upon this detail. "Yeah! Her name's Serenity. She goes to da preschool."_

"_Hmmph." She turned back around, and grabbed the ball from Yugi. "I guess you can be our friend." She then proceeded to toss the ball at him, bouncing it off his head. "Invite us over to your house tonight, weirdo."_

* * *

><p>"<em>No."<em>

"_Why not?"_

"'_Cause I don't WANT to talk to him."_

"_How come?"_

"_His hair's weird." She gestured to the brunette, who was busy rushing to get everything necessary out of his locker. "He looks like a unicorn. I'm afraid he's gonna stab me with his hair."_

"_Hey, Kana." Joey nudged her in the side. "Remember how ya didn't like me at first, either? Ya didn't like my voice and ya just plain didn't like ME. But we're all friends now - you and me and Yuge."_

"_That's because you are __**cool**__, Joey. That guy's just... uh."_

"'_Uh'?"_

"_Yeah, 'uh'. That's what I say when I don't know what to think of somebody."_

"_Come on." Yugi gave her a little push. "He's been in our class for two years, and hardly anybody ever talks to him. He sits alone by the garbage cans at lunch."_

"_Some people are loners."_

"_Kana-chan, come on. Go be nice. He should have a few friends before we go to high school. That way he won't be all alone in a new place, and we won't either."_

_She sighed. "Fine."_

_They both watched as she went and picked up a book the guy had dropped, handing it back. "You wanna sit with me and my friends at lunch?" she asked rather bluntly, getting straight to the point. "They made me come and ask because they think it'll help me not be so mean."_

_They watched again, as the boy's face widened into a smile. "That'd be great! Sure. And thanks. My name's Tristan Honda. What's yours?"_

"_Kana. How come your first name's American?"_

"_My parents are weird like that."_

_Kana nodded, then turned and jerked her head toward her other friends. "Come on. We'll walk you to class. We're probably going to be late, and it's a lot less awkward if you're late in herd formation."_

* * *

><p><em>Yugi, Joey, and Tristan all thought Kana was running a fever or something when they saw her walking with another girl. Walking, and talking, and even LAUGHING. Oh, yes, she was definitely sick. Why hadn't she gone to the nurse?<em>

_The girl was tall, slender, with short brown hair and big blue eyes. Dressed in a uniform, of course, but almost every boy turned their head as she walked by with Kana. She even had high heels on. Were girls in tenth grade ALLOWED to wear high heels? This new school was so weird._

"_Hey guys!" Kana called as she came over with the new girl. She wrapped an arm around The Other Girl's shoulders, giving a definite hug. "This is Téa. She just moved to Domino right before last school year ended."_

"_I'm kind of lost," Téa laughed. "Kana-chan was showing me around. She's really nice. So... you guys must be Joey, Yugi, and Tristan, right?" She pointed at all of them correctly. "She told me all about you guys. Sorry for laughing at that joke about your hair, Tristan - I thought she was exaggerating."_

"_She made a joke about my hair?" he muttered._

"_Yours __**and**__ mine," Yugi answered. "And Joey's accent."_

"_Believe it, boys," Kana interjected. "Anyway, I won't be able to come over and play Duel Monsters with you guys tonight. Téa and I are going to the mall."_

"_Duel Monsters?" Téa echoed excitedly. "Hey, forget the mall! I've been wanting to learn that game forever. Would you guys teach me?"_

"_Sure!" Yugi agreed. "You'll be great - you look like a fast learner."_

"_Hey, we can even help you start building your deck," Kana offered. "I think I __have some starter packs with cards I didn't use."_

"_Yeah, me too," Yugi added._

"_You'll be a pro in no time, Téa," Kana grinned._

"_Yay! I call all the cute cards you guys aren't using!"_

* * *

><p>"<em>Hey." She stood next to him and tapped his shoulder.<em>

_He jumped and turned to look at her. He had a surprised, sheepish look on his face, but he forced a smile. "O-Oh... hello." His voice was smooth with a distinct British accent, but goodness, didn't he sound nervous._

"_You look kinda lost here. Got a problem?"_

"_Oh, well, I..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I-I don't know which station I should be at. It looks like everyone else has a partner."_

"_The class is odd-numbered. None of my friends are in here, so I mostly do the experiments on my own." She waved him over to the lab station in the back. "Why don't you come be my partner? And you can sit with me and my gang at lunch."_

_He smiled, and this time it was genuine, not forced, though still just a little nervous. "Oh! Thank you, I'd be delighted to help." He followed her, clutching his briefcase-style backpack in one hand. "By the way, I'm Ryou Bakura. You can just call me by my last name, everyone does."_

"_Nice to meet you. My name's Kana. My friends are Yugi, Joey, Tristan, and Téa." She put her things down and picked up an experiment sheet. "Look at this, we're doing blood testing. We're going to find out our blood types."_

_She glanced up from reading, and saw that Bakura looked unhealthily pale, his brown eyes wide. "I, um, I, I already know mine."_

"_We kinda have to do it. It's called 'lab' for a reason."_

_God, but didn't he look faint. "I... I think I need to be excused... I-I'll be at the nurse's if you... need me..."_

_And off he went, stumbling down the hall and probably bumping into people as he went._

_Kana shook her head, poking at a slide. "Ah, poor kid. Hope he doesn't pass out on the way."_

* * *

><p>"<em>You think you're actually going to beat people with that deck of yours? None of you can play - especially <em>_**you**__."_

_A high-pitched squeak that sounded suspiciously British. "I-I don't really play-"_

"_I've seen you with a deck. You're not any better at it than these fools. You guys are below average at best."_

_Kana dropped her things right there and ran around the corner. There was that damn Seto Kaiba, harassing the gang again. The only one not there was Téa - she __was still in the bathroom, or else she'd have stood up way sooner._

_Kana ran forward and in front of the guys. She positioned herself right in front of Bakura, though she was still in front of the others. "You asshole! You can't bully my friends and push them around!"_

_Seto narrowed his eyes at her. "Oh? And what are you going to do if I don't stop?"_

"_I'm gonna duel you into oblivion, Seto Kaiba, that's what I'm gonna do!" She reached to her holster to whip out her deck and teach this punk a lesson. "You and me, study hall!" She smirked. "You know, I mean if you're not scared of me."_

_If it was possible his eyes narrowed even more. "Study hall, then. I hope you're ready for defeat."_

"_Yeah right! I'll kick your scrawny ass for messing with my gang."_

* * *

><p><em>They all crowded around her, each trying their hand at pulling her head and arms up off the desk. It couldn't really be done; she was a stubborn person.<em>

"_Come on, Kana-chan, you have to get up," Yugi commented. "You can't just stay there for the rest of the day."_

"_Yeah," Joey added. "They're havin' sushi in da cafeteria."_

"_Kaiba doesn't even matter," Tristan said. "You know you woulda won if he wasn't trash-talking you the whole time."_

"_We don't blame you," Téa tried, a hand on the other girl's arm. "We won't stop being your friends just because of this."_

"_Who cares if he won?" Bakura put his hand on her back. "It was a bloody brave thing you did there, standing up for us like that. All that matters is what you did for us."_

"_We don't care whether you win or lose," Yugi assured her. "We'll be there for you either way. We can be happy with you if you win, but we're not going to just abandon you if it's someone else's victory."_

_She finally lifted her head up. "I was supposed to win and defend you guys. But I guess I'm not good enough."_

"_Don't say that, Kana-chan," Téa protested. "Who taught ME how to duel? You did!"_

"_That doesn't mean I'm a good duelist," Kana mumbled. "That just means I'm a good teacher."_

"_Either way you're a good person." Yugi put his hand on top of hers. "And an even better friend."_

_At last she looked up at all of them, then smiled, and held out her arms for a massive hug. "I love you guys."_

* * *

><p><strong>Ok! So, next update will be the official first chapter and the start of the current plot. Starts at the beginning of the Battle City Finals, and you'll see which part I choose to start it at.<strong>

**Well, reviews are DEFINITELY appreciated, and the longer the review, the more likely it is I'll update A LOT sooner.**

**Thanks for reading! ^^**


	2. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! Thanks for all the reviews for the prologue, I really appreciate it.**

**I, uh, I really had this chapter done like, yesterday... but by the time I thought about putting it up I was super tired. Sorry!**

**But here it is now. The OFFICIAL first chapter. I hope you guys enjoy!**

* * *

><p><em>I can't run anymore<em>

_I fall before you_

_Here I am_

_I have nothing left_

_Though I've tried to forget_

_You're all that I am_

_Take me home_

_I'm through fighting it_

_Broken... lifeless..._

_I give up_

_You're my only strength_

_Without you, I can't go on_

_Anymore... ever again..._

~from "October" by Evanescence

* * *

><p>"When do the Finals start, Yugi?" Kana asked excitedly, leafing eagerly through her friend's puzzle cards. "This is crazy!"<p>

"A couple of days, I think," he answered, sitting there and allowing her to look at them. "I guess Kaiba really wants to make sure the only ones there are the absolute strongest in Battle City and Domino."

"I get that. Boy, I wish I could pound that fudgebag for beating me last year, but I, uh... kinda forgot to register myself for the tournament." She pouted, letting the cards fall back on the table for Yugi.

He chuckled, gathering them all up again and counting to make sure she hadn't dropped any on the ground. "You never even registered yourself as an official duelist in Domino," he pointed out. "What did you expect, Kana-chan?"

She smacked the table. "You know what? This is Kaiba's sick idea of payback, that's what it is. I challenged him so he's making the computers look like I screwed up so I can't open up a can of ass-whup on him. He's a dirty coward!"

"Kana-chan, there are only a few days left, I've got all my puzzle cards, and Joey's just got one more to go. Can't we just enjoy some peace for once?"

"Peace?"

"You know. The little gaps between sentences when you're not making fun of Kaiba's oddly gravity-defying coat or wondering out loud how he and Mokuba can be related, or threatening to kick his you-know-what with a _Kuriboh_. You know his Blue Eyes probably eats those for breakfast."

"It can eat all mine and cough up a frickin' hairball, for all I care. Losing them would be worth it to see that pompous lizard of his choking on a batch of glorified Furbies. Irony, my friend... sweet, sweet irony."

Yugi shook his head. "Look, Joey said most of the gang's coming over in a few minutes - huh, he did say three, didn't he?" He glanced at his watch. "They're always late when Joey's with them. They should be here soon... they wanted to catch some movie at three-thirty. I haven't seen the previews for that one."

"Probably that new one about a samurai swordfish, knowing Joey. What an American. Really, they're amused by anything." She ducked down behind him and shook his shoulders, as she'd done when they were younger. "Hey hey! You're gonna beat Kaiba's candy ass, aren't you?"

"I, uh... I'll do my best."

She grinned and laughed in what sounded suspiciously like an evil manner, virtually making Yugi's entire body quiver as she did so. "Oh, Yugi, let me live gloriously through you! _I want to know how it feels!_"

"To beat Kaiba with a deck of cards."

"With a deck of cards, with a baseball bat, with a box of sharpened pencils. But we're going with the cards this time around. Why?" She pointed to the sky. "_Fate decrees it_."

"You've been reading _Julius Caesar_ every night again, haven't you?"

"Hell yes, but that's not the point. _Beware the Ides of March. _And oh please, King of Games, kick that ass's ass and sent electricity jolting _through meeeeee_!"

"You're crazy. Why didn't I see this earlier?"

"Because you were busy sitting in the Time Out Corner for something I did. That was how I knew you were an awesome friend, you know. That was a test."

"I think I see the others," Yugi muttered, desperately wanting to change the subject. It probably _hadn't_ been a test back then, but did it really matter? They were friends because of it, and that was all that mattered now.

"Oh, hey. You said 'most' of the gang. Who's MIA? Wait, no, let me guess-"

"Bakura," they both chorused.

"As usual." Kana rolled her eyes. "Sneaky little Brit." She crossed her arms. "You know where he is, don't you? Probably being psychologically tortured by that darker side of his. I swear, if I could go out and buy the boy a backbone, I _would_. He needs to stand up to that guy-"

"Hey! Yuge, Kana! How's it goin'?"

Obnoxious, also lovable. That was Joey.

"Hope you're not having too much fun without us!"

Eager but somewhat forced. Tristan. (Joey'd probably dragged him into the movie idea...)

"What time does that movie start?"

Preoccupied with planning. Téa.

Kana sat back in her chair, then stood up. "Hey guys. I'm bored and hungry, how about we go see that movie?"

"We got twenty minutes," Joey retorted. "Keep a lid on it."

"You and your Americanisms, Joseph Wheeler."

"Didn't we have this conversation, Kana? _Joey_, and nothin' else."

"Fine. Joe."

"Shut up."

Kana stuck her tongue out. "Why do we still have almost a half hour? Somebody didn't plan," she teased, wiggling her fingers at Joey.

"Yeah, I thought we could actually _talk_ for a while, sue me."

"Consider yourself sued, dude. Mental trial. The judge rules in favor of me. I'll take seventy percent of that pack of gum in your pocket, then."

"Funny, I didn't think you wanted to sound like Kaiba."

"You shut your face, Joey. Compare me to that douchebag _one_ more time, I swear I'll-"

"Help! Help! Please!"

Kana was the first to whirl around. When she did, she saw some dark-skinned guy with sandy blonde hair walking toward them, trying to support Bakura with one hand. The brown-eyed albino was obviously fading into unconsciousness, barely able to walk on his own, and the upper part of his arm was bleeding.

"Ryou!" She was fast, but the rest of the gang followed hot like hell on her heels. She reached the pair, and held out her hands lamely to help in some way. "Ryou, who did this? Huh? Whose ass am I kicking?"

"I-I just found him like this," the other boy stammered. "I don't... I don't know what happened. I thought he was just going to faint right here... y-you know him?"

"This is our friend Ryou." Kana carefully took the other boy's position, pressing her hand lightly against the Brit's chest and slinging his arm around her shoulders. As she did, she brushed fingers with the other boy and glanced up into his eyes, but didn't quite have the time to blush.

"Somebody should call a hospital or - or the police or something," the blonde suggested quietly, watching Kana lead her friend over to the table they'd been at. He followed her. "I think he's bleeding pretty badly."

"Understatement of the year." Kana tried to help Bakura sit down in a chair, but he was limp. "Ryou! Ryou, can you hear me?" She leaned down and blew on his forehead. "You need to sit down. We're going to get you to the hospital." She sat down next to him, and tried to keep him from falling over. She looked up at the rest of the group. "Somebody get a taxi, I think the boy's about to pass out. I'll take him."

"You can't go alone," Téa protested. "Neither of you are eighteen. They won't let you fill out any forms and without the forms they won't help him."

Kana shook her head. "Yugi, can you call your grandpa then? I can't tow an unconscious Ryou into the emergency room, they'll think I'm abusive."

Yugi nodded, pulling out his phone. "I'll go inside then, he won't be able to hear me over everything going on out here. Be right back."

Kana continued trying to sit her friend up like a puppet as Yugi left. The rest of the group went over to talk to the dark-skinned blonde, who looked shaken. The albino's head fell on her shoulder and he let out a groan.

She scowled and rested her head on top of his, stroking his shoulder and hair with the arm around his back. "That's you, isn't it?" she said lowly. "Don't lie to me. Ryou doesn't make that sound when he's in pain - he just whimpers."

He growled softly. "Don't ruin my plans, girl." It was the other voice, deeper and darker and far more dangerous. Normal Bakura was just a harmless cream puff, but his Yami was something to be reckoned with. "Nothing will happen to your precious friend as long as you don't meddle, which you seem so very fond of doing. And if you do, I'll sever those meddling hands and throw them to Anubis. Mark my word, I'll do it."

"You're a bastard," she hissed. "You know that? You son of a bitch, hiding behind Ryou's body. What did you _do_ to him?"

"That's something you don't need to know, mortal. As long as you don't interfere with my plans, he shan't suffer more than necessary."

"And just what exactly are your plans?"

"Once more, you don't need to know."

She was close to snarling at him, but thought better of it and looked up at the others as he collapsed on her shoulder again. The rest of them were still talking to the blonde, and Yugi was walking out of the café building. "Is Gramps comin'?" she called, trying to support Bakura-or-his-dark-side.

"Luckily he was already out, but he doesn't have his car," he answered. "He has to walk, he says he'll be here in about five minutes."

"Good. He's going to pass out soon, seriously."

She glanced up at the other group, who were waving good-bye to the blonde boy. He was heading around the corner. Huh. _Well, guess I missed that chance,_ she thought with a sigh. _He'd probably think I was abrasive anyway. I thought all for the best..._

"That guy's pretty cool," Joey commented as they all walked back over.

"He seems really nice," Téa added. "Why didn't you make a move, Kana?" She touched her friend's arm. "He was totally into you."

"I was a little concerned about Ryou not dying at that moment."

"Well, he was checking you out," Tristan contributed. "He said they don't have girls like you guys where he's from."

"Where _is_ he from?" Kana asked rather nonchalantly - or at least she hoped that was how it came out - as she stroked Bakura's hair.

"Egypt, I think he said," Téa answered. "Wouldn't you just _love_ to go there? It's so mysterious. And if it's full of guys like him, I'm game! But don't worry, Kana, I won't ask him out if you want to."

"I don't know," she muttered. "We'll probably never see him again anyway, so what's the point?"

"Ya nevah know," Joey told her, almost singing it out. "He's a duelist too, Kana."

"Yeah, well I'm not registered. So just leave it alone, _Joseph_."

* * *

><p>"Take us straight to the hospital, please," Kana called up to the taxi driver as she helped Grandpa get Bakura in the back. "As fast as you can without breaking speed limits or bumping this guy's head around in his skull. He can't afford to lose any more brain cells."<p>

"That wasn't very nice," Grandpa muttered, walking around to the other side to get in.

"Well, he deserves it - going and getting himself cut up." She climbed into her side and shut the door as Grandpa rolled the window down. She tried to keep Bakura up, but he was kinda half unconscious by that point. On the plus side, she hadn't heard from Yami Bakura since he'd bitched at her about keeping her nose out of his business, so he'd probably slipped Bakura's soul back into his own body.

She leaned over. "So guys, I guess it's safe to say I won't be going to see that movie with you," she said. "But tell me how it was. I'll catch up later, maybe tomorrow we can do something else together."

She fell back against the seat, putting her hand over Bakura's. "You'll be fine, Ryou, I promise."

He shifted, and she could see his eyes open just barely, she could hardly see the brown orbs. "W... What...?" That was the only thing he said before whining softly and slumping over against her.

"I'm sure he'll be fine soon," Grandpa was saying. "The doctors should fix him right up. I'll send Kana back when he's got a room, okay?"

"Bye guys." Yugi didn't even have to duck down to look in the window. "Kana-chan, if Bakura wakes up, tell him we hope he feels better soon."

"Can do, Yugi." She sat back, crossing her legs and pulling her friend closer in to her. She then faced the driver. "Drive."

* * *

><p><strong>Well. I think that was a rather crackerjack job, if I say so meself.<strong>

**Reviews are very much appreciated. Thanks for reading! ^^**


End file.
